Our Farm is a team. We couldn’t do it without our dedicated employees.
Joe Gehrke
My name is Joe Gehrke. I am a farm manager/foreman with Guentzel Family Farms. I have worked with the farm part time since July 2016 and full time since October 2018. A little background on myself, I have degrees in automotive repair and mechanical engineering. Before joining the farm, I worked for 6 years as an automotive technician and worked another 7 years as a professional engineer. Also, I was born and raised on a farm near Waterville, MN and have been involved with farming my entire life. Currently, my daughter Lauren and I live in Mankato, MN. A few of my favorite things about working on the farm are I am constantly learning, the variety of jobs, and being able to use all of my education.
Other interests that I have are outdoor activities such as kayaking, biking, golfing, and wilderness camping. When I am home and have free time, I enjoy gardening, reading, working with open source software, designing 3D models, and completing home improvement projects. Also, I am currently the president of Le Sueur County Farm Bureau and I am working at earning my private pilot’s license.
Finally, here is some incite on how I approach life. I believe in applying professionalism towards everything you do and implementing efficiency, quality, and a proactive approach to present and future tasks. One of my greatest strength is being able to bridge the gap between old school knowledge and experience and the latest and greatest innovations and technology so as to utilize the best of both worlds. I also think it is important to bring passion to every task, especially the ones that are not so “fun” to complete.
Kevin Doering
Kevin started working at Guentzel Family Farms in Fall of 2019 as a Grain Cart operator and learned to drive semi shortly after. Kevin’s favorite part of the job is running the grain cart and says that the best part about his job is being in the outdoors.
Outside of the farm Kevin is an active member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in North Mankato. He enjoys spending time with his wife, three children, eight grand children and friends. In his free time he enjoys traveling, camping and canoeing.
With his Business and Aviation degrees Kevin worked 22 years in the aviation industry, 17 years in the food industry, and 15 years farming. All prior to working at Guentzel Family Farms.
